In search of the Mganga (African Shaman), Part I

“Love can travel thousands of miles and so life has no limits. Move to where you want to go. Strive to reach the goals you want to achieve. Everything is in your heart and in your hands” – Steve Jobs

Just last weekend I rode a bus 5 hours to the middle of the wilderness somewhere at the base of Mount Kenya with a bold objective. My quest since I’ve arrived in Africa has been simple, a bit daring, and different from anything I’ve done previously. Before I leave I’m determined to find the African shaman, mganga. My goal is to conduct an interview, if I’m lucky get photos, and if I’m really lucky then be guided through a spiritual cleansing using the psychoactive Iboga plant. I want to document the whole thing. So far it has proved to be a difficult feat.

The shaman here is looked at as a “witch doctor”. Although no one seems to fully agree on what a shaman is or does, everyone I’ve asked has said that they are evil, shady, and could hypnotize or even kill me. They think I’m crazy for my endeavors. For these reasons alone, I am even more firm in my commitment to discover this elusive mganga.

I’m thrilled that these practices still exist, and hope they never die. I’ll be posting photos and videos of my journey on social media where I’ll be hiking through rural villages and finding leads through various interviews, so keep in touch via Instagram and facebook.